Box-fastener.



PATENTED SEPT. 22, 1903;

C. W BEEHLBR. BOX FASTENER. unwmmn FILED FEB. 9, 1903.

no MODEL.

m J M /Q 2 flax I I a@r r NGRRIS PEYERS ca, PHUTD-L)YMG.,WASHWGTUN u cUNITED STATES Patented September 22, 1903.

CHARLES W. BEEHLER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BOX-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,639, datedSeptember 22, 1903.

- Application filed February 9, 1903. Serial No. 142,602. (No modal.)

object of the present improvement being to provide means by which thecatch-engaged spring of said fastener is securely held in the lid-plateof the fastener, so that it may not become displaced from its seattherein during the handling of the lid-plate previous to application toa box and also so that it will be constantly maintained in a seat insaid plate after said plate has been applied to a box.

The invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fullydescribed, and pointed out in the claim.

Figure I is a top view of my. fastener. Fig. II is a vertical sectiontaken on line II II, Fig. I. Fig. III is a vertical section taken online III III, Fig. II, looking in the direction indicated by the arrowon said line. Fig. IV is a side elevation of the lid-plate.

. A designates the front wall of a box, and B the box-lid.

1 designates a catch secured to the inner face of the box-wall A andprovided at its upper end with a hook-head 2, containing aseal-receiving aperture 3, the construction of said parts beingsubstantially the same as that in my patent hereinbefore referred to.

4. designates the lid-plate, which is formed with a raised centralportion 5, containing an aperture 6, through which the hook-head of thecatch 1 passes, as in my former patent. At the front side of thelid-plate 4 is an apertured seal-receiving ear 7, the opening in whichregisters with the aperture 3 in the catch-head after said head haspassed through the aperture 6 in the lid-plate.

8 is the catch-head-engaging spring located beneath the raised portion 5of the lid-plate and having the return-bend 9, straight arm 10, and arm11, the point 12 of which is upturned and engages in the aperture 13 inthe lid-plate,.as in my former patent. The parts of my present fastenerthus far described are substantially identical with corresponding partsin my previous patent to which reference has been made, and no inventionper se is herein claimed for them.

I now come to the construction wherein my present improvement resides.As will be seen on referring to my former patent, the catch engagingspring is located in an open recess beneath the lid -plate and is notretained therein, except by the loose engagement of the upturned pointof one arm of said spring and thefrictional contact of the spring withthe lid plate beneath the raised portion. Practical use of the fastenerwith the construction stated has demonstrated that'the construction isobjectionable, inasmuch as the catch-engaging spring being seatedbeneath the lid-plate without means of confinement therein it isimpossible to retain it assembled with the plate in the handling thereofbefore applying the fastener to a box on which it is to be used.Furthermore, the arm of said spring that receives the engagement of thecatch being unconfined whenever the lid-plate becomes loosened from thebox-lid at its forward side to a material degree the catch-engaging armis permitted to pass be neath the loosened plate and projects across thecatch-aperture inthe lid-plate in position that prevents the passage ofthe catch through said aperture by striking the arm to force itrearwardly previous to engaging it. For the purpose of overcoming thedifiiculty referred to I provide for the confinement of thecatch-engaging spring 8 by extending transverse supports across theplate beneath the spring at each end of the lid-plate Land at a lowerlevel than the raised portion 5 or, in other words, on a plane with thebase of said lid-plate. 14. designates one of these cross-supports onwhich the return-bend end of the catch-engaging spring rests, and 15 isa support at the opposite end of the plate on which the straight arm 10of thecatch-en gaging spring rests for lateral movement. The support 15is preferably made in the form .of tongues, which may be bent rearwardlyfrom the plane of the base of the lid- .plate to permit the introductionof the catch- ICO inbefore referred to.-

I claim as my invention- A box-fastener consisting of a catch adapted tobe secured to the wall of the box, a plate worse adapted to be securedto the lid of the box and having a raised central portion, acatchengaging spring located beneath said raised portion of thelid-plate, and transverse supports located beneath the level of saidraised portion by which said catch-engaging spring is confined in thespace beneath said raised portion, substantially as and for the purposeSpecified.

CHARLES W. BEEHLER.

In presence of GEo. H. KNIGHT, NELLIE V. ALEXANDER.

